Fabulous (13 pictures)

[Puscas]

Puscas, I'm intrigued by the 'snapshot' comment. I'd be very grateful if you could elaborate on that, even if it is critical or harsh.

Thanks again,
Helen

Well, most of them don't really focus on the subject. Let's take #1 for example: there's a guy's elbow on the left, the chairs in front are visible. It's all so cluttered, it takes away from your main subject. The same for say #6; why not blur out the background, get closer to te people that are doing the hair, or try a different angle that leads the viewer into the action. In #12 you have three talking groups, an exhibition, a book in the forground, but your main subject is the guy in pink. Now my eyes start dancing all over the photo's.
I think that's missing in the proces: you have an eye for noticing the fun and 'pic-worthy' but then you have to think 'how do I want to present this?'. Look at the background, at the framing. Things like that.





pascal

 

[Rick Waldroup]

Well, most of them don't really focus on the subject. Let's take #1 for example: there's a guy's elbow on the left, the chairs in front are visible. It's all so cluttered, it takes away from your main subject. The same for say #6; why not blur out the background, get closer to te people that are doing the hair, or try a different angle that leads the viewer into the action. In #12 you have three talking groups, an exhibition, a book in the forground, but your main subject is the guy in pink. Now my eyes start dancing all over the photo's.
I think that's missing in the proces: you have an eye for noticing the fun and 'pic-worthy' but then you have to think 'how do I want to present this?'. Look at the background, at the framing. Things like that.
pascal

I could not disagree more.

Shooting events, you have to show the environment- the event itself, as well as the people who attend. Sure, you can do some close-up shots, but the main objective, at least when I shoot parties or events, is to catch the people having fun at the event. You have to capture them in their surroundings. If you start concentrating on doing close-ups or blurring the background and so on, you lose the flavor of the event itself.

 

[Mesoam]

Queens....

Let's hear your suggestion!

Thanks,
Helen

 

[Puscas]

I could not disagree more.

Shooting events, you have to show the environment- the event itself, as well as the people who attend. Sure, you can do some close-up shots, but the main objective, at least when I shoot parties or events, is to catch the people having fun at the event. You have to capture them in their surroundings. If you start concentrating on doing close-ups or blurring the background and so on, you lose the flavor of the event itself.

I'm not just talking about close ups. It's knowing what's in your background. Does it add to your story, or does it distract. In these pictures, most of the times I find the surroundings they don't add anything. Half a head, a piece of someones back? It's good at events to shoot people in their surroundings, but that doesn't mean getting as much as possible in the frame.

You can control how you portray the mood of the party in your pictures. For example, a blurred background can add to the 'flavor'. You don't have to do it everytime, in every photo, but it's one of the tools you have.

It's just my non-expert opinion.



pascal

 

[Rick Waldroup]

I'm not just talking about close ups. It's knowing what's in your background. Does it add to your story, or does it distract. In these pictures, most of the times I find the surroundings they don't add anything. Half a head, a piece of someones back? It's good at events to shoot people in their surroundings, but that doesn't mean getting as much as possible in the frame.

You can control how you portray the mood of the party in your pictures. For example, a blurred background can add to the 'flavor'. You don't have to do it everytime, in every photo, but it's one of the tools you have.

It's just my non-expert opinion.





pascal

Yes, I think a few of them could have been cropped just a little bit tighter. However, I don't think Helen crops at all in her photography, if I'm not mistaken.

 

[abraxas]

Whatever on all the above. I enjoyed the series. Had this country boy asking, "What in the hell is that?"

I like the first shot the most.

 

[skieur]

I'm not just talking about close ups. It's knowing what's in your background. Does it add to your story, or does it distract. In these pictures, most of the times I find the surroundings they don't add anything. Half a head, a piece of someones back? It's good at events to shoot people in their surroundings, but that doesn't mean getting as much as possible in the frame.

You can control how you portray the mood of the party in your pictures. For example, a blurred background can add to the 'flavor'. You don't have to do it everytime, in every photo, but it's one of the tools you have.

It's just my non-expert opinion.
pascal

Actually, you are correct Puscas. Shooting events is finding the subject and isolating him/her/them from non-essential elements in the background either through camera angle, moving in closer, zooming in or using depth of field. Afterwards cropping may be necessary.

Not my opinion, but rather my experience.

skieur

 

[MarcusM]

I tend to agree with puscas on some of the shots. Don't get me wrong, I think there are some nice shots here and definitely interesting, but for example two that stick out to me are #5 and #8.

#5 - definitely should have not had the head in the lower left corner, I think it should have either been framed or cropped out, and the wo(man)(?) in the blue dress should have been focused in on, and this shot defintely warranted a blurred background.

#8 - doesn't have a clear subject - while both people make for interesting subjects, they are competing for attention, and truthfully, I really want to see a closer shot of the guy with the beard and dress in the back - that's a cool getup!

But fun shots, nonetheless...that's just my nonprofessional take.